First off, we love lobster, the idea that there is lobster everywhere in
the Florida Keys just for the taking, well, we packed up the old beater and moved down. We found
a really great cheap place right on the water (cough) and got us a real
deal on a nice boat (cough, hack), bought all the safety equipment, dive gear,
electronics- including a multi-function, hand-held, state-of-the-art GPS
with all the bells and whistles, license and
stuff (cough, hack, wheeze) and didn't have enough money left over to buy
any gas. Not to worry, we borrow some gas, round up the kids, make 3 trips
to the boat with important stuff that we will need, two more last minute
"potty" trips and before you know it, by golly, we're out on the water
heading for a really great spot (the cable guy told me), glorious day,
wind in our face, blue sky - the whole 9 yards. We didn't bring the
instructions for the new GPS and don't have a clue just exactly where that spot
is, but we do have plan "B".
Hey, lobster are everywhere, just anchor and dive, and if we
would of made
trip 6 with the anchor, that would have worked.
Not to worry, we got plan
"C". We head for the Hwy 1 bridge approach where there is a ton of rip-rap
and lots of crevices for those lobsters to hide, we tie off to a palm tree - it
is totally under control. Of course, all that dawdling' getting the stuff
& the kids on the boat got us right into the tide change which really
sweeps down along that bridge approach and I got teenagers spread up and
down the shoreline for a half mile and still goin', but that's another
story.

The local seafood market
sold me a bunch of some really nice fresh tails for about $25, which
worked out to a $17,425 savings.

My son in law, Mr. Ed (named after the
horse) has his own way of catching lobster. He parks the wife and kids
with grandpa, strolls down to the bridge with his $12 K-mart flippers,
mask, snorkel, net and tickle-stick kit. Jumps in at slack tide and is
usually back in 30 minutes or so, with a limit of them damn lobsters.

My neighbor, Toothless Charley (he's
bald) who moved down here before
the railroad was built and Caloosa Indians ruled the islands has a spot or
two out on the reef just offshore - he claims the Indians told him about
them and it's a sacred thing and won't reveal just where the spots are.
However, the neighbor on the other side of the trailer park gave me some
guaranteed numbers.
I used my new multi-function, hand held, lots
of buttons and gizmos Global Positioning Satellite Receiver - with the instructions
(written by the same guys who put out the instructions on the easy way to
use Microsoft Excel) and I found the seafood counter (with some damn lobsters)
at the Winn-Dixie right where the lat and long said it was.